A Very Zen Christmas
by oddanie
Summary: (Alternate Christmas event) C&R is holding a Christmas party, and all of the RFA are invited - including MC. She and Zen revel in each others' presences, but MC worries that someone will see and hurt Zen's career. They decide to ditch and he whisks her off for a night of Christmas magic, just like he's always dreamed. But... will it turn out that way? (ZenxReader)
1. Chapter One

The setting was dazzling. A massive golden-hued marble ballroom, with a giant chandelier hanging from the fifty-foot ceiling. Tall glass windows lined two of the walls, looking out on the city streets glistening with snow. There were tables completely covered in food, so many platters you could barely see the decorative cloth underneath. Holly and mistletoe and other holiday-themed (and yet somehow also classy) decorations were carefully placed throughout. A quartet played cheery Christmas tunes while hundreds of people mingled and danced.

You felt incredibly out of place stepping through those glass doors. You were barely out of high school - why were you at a fancy corporate party? Oh yeah, because you were in a group chat with the co-Chairman.

You smoothed down the front of your dress, moving off to the side as to not interrupt the flow of people still coming in. You were wearing a white skintight dress that was flowy in some parts. It kind of reminded you of a Greek toga, which is why you liked it, you supposed. You hoped you weren't under dressed.

"Hello."

The voice was feminine and just vaguely familiar, but you found yourself turning eagerly towards it. You smiled, eyes warm as they turned to the other woman. "Jaehee," You greeted. You recognized her from her profile picture. Seeing her in real life, with makeup and rosy cheeks and a formal gown, was… strange. You had never seen her actually _move_ before.

"Y/N," She offered in return, clasping her hands at her waist. "It's nice to finally get to truly meet you."

Her voice was a higher pitch than you'd imagined. "You too. This is.. almost surreal." You laughed. "I feel like we've known each other for so long, but at the same time like I only just met you."

"I understand what you mean. You're… different than what I thought."

You raised an eyebrow. "Good different?"

You both laughed. "Yes. Your dress is beautiful, by the way."

"Thank you! I like your's, too. It's weird to see you in anything but business clothes."

"To tell you the truth, I'm quite uncomfortable in this. It's.. itchy. But Mr. Han insisted."

"Mm." You snatched a roll of bread from the tray of a passing waiter, taking a ginger bite as to not smudge your makeup. "That doesn't surprise me. Speaking of which, where is the man of the hour? Why aren't you two joined at the hip?"

Jaehee waved a dismissive hand. "He's off dancing and such with other important businesspeople. I'm not needed at this time."

"So you get to enjoy the party!"

"Yes, well… speaking of enjoying the party, there is someone here that is, ah, quite eager to see you."

You felt your face flush immediately, and you nearly choked on your roll. _Oh._ You had almost forgotten. You gave a nervous chuckle. "Right… where is he, then?"

"Somewhere back by the food, I believe." She flashed you a warning look. You knew that she didn't approve of your potential relationship, but you couldn't help it. "I'll be seeing you later, then."

"Yes. Later."

You dipped your head a bit and melted into the crowd. It took you quite some time to weave your way through the sea of well-dressed people. By the time you made it to the snack table, you were practically huffing from the effort. You glanced around; you didn't see him. You were certain you'd be able to pick out his white hair from the crowd... you supposed that he'd gone somewhere else. About to move on and continue searching, you felt a tap on your shoulder. Blinking, you whirled around.

And it was him.


	2. Chapter Two

It sounded dumb, but you were star-struck. He was constantly sent you selfies over the messenger, but to be that close to the real living, breathing _him_ was something else entirely. He was dressed in a crisp black tuxedo that was quite complimenting on his form, his white hair pulled back into an effortless ponytail that somehow still managed to look sophisticated. And there was this stupid goofy grin on his dazzling face - you could've melted on the spot.

"Oh, thank god," he breathed with a little laugh - his voice sounded even better in person than it did over the phone. "I was afraid it wasn't going to be you."

"Well, it's me," you managed to get out, with a smile. Your face was burning. "It's… It's so great to see you, Zen."

"You too, lovely."

You didn't know what to say. There was a pause in the conversation - you didn't know if it counted as awkward or not. It lasted three seconds or so before Zen spoke up once more.

"You're shorter than I imagined."

Just like that, the ice broke. You seemed to remember all the prior conversations you'd had - the teasing, the flirting, the confiding. You just had to remind myself that this would be just like texting, but.. more direct.

"What?!" You huffed, giving a playful stomp of your foot to emphasize your mock anger. "We finally meet in person, and that's one of the first things you say to me? I'm hurt."

He laughed. "What? It's true. What are you, five two?"

"Um- five four, thank you very much."

"Riiight. Either way, you're tiny."

Zen was actually much taller than you'd expected. You reached just up to his shoulder, but you didn't mind.

He held out his hand. "Would you like to dance while we catch up?"

You stared at his offered hand for a moment. The idea of finally touching him, even if it was something as simple as joining hands, was spine-tingling. You grinned, entwining your fingers. You saw his eyes widen slightly. His skin was soft.

"L-Let's go then." His voice cracked.

You couldn't help but chuckle. "Nervous?" You asked.

"What?! No. Of course not. The great Zen doesn't _get_ nervous."

"Mm, I beg to differ." He lead you out to the middle of the dance floor. The quartet was playing a slowed down version of jingle bells. Zen took both of your hands and lifted them up. He tapped his foot to the beat for a second or two, and then he whisked you off, pulling you in a fluid circle to the pleasant music. You smiled.

"I had no idea you could dance."

"There's a lot you don't know about me. And honestly, I want to change that, Y/N."

You barely heard what he was saying, as bad as that sounded. Your eyes were wandering. Some of the other guests - ones that recognized Zen, obviously - were watching you and whispering. Your stomach tied itself into knots. You couldn't help but think about what Jaehee was always saying - that Zen being in a relationship with you would start a scandal and ruin his career.

Zen either didn't notice the other people or didn't care, which you doubted. He looked at you expectantly. "Well? How do you feel?"

You blinked, locking eyes with him. "No - I agree completely. I want to know you, Zen."

That seemed to satisfy him. He spun you in a circle; the bottom of your dress fanned out and then came back in. "Ok.. the basics, then. What is… your favorite color?"

You giggled. "Really?"

"What? I _did_ say basics." His cheeks were tinted red.

"Alright, alright, calm down. My favorite color is… blue. Like, a teal-ish blue, but not too teal."

"Huh. Specific. Well, in case you were wondering - which I know you _were_ \- _my_ favorite color is orange."

"Orange? I didn't expect that. I thought you were going to say… Black. Or something lame."

"Black is not lame! It's a very fitting color for me."

"Fine… I do agree with that." The song ended, and you slowed down with the rest of the dancing couples, coming to a stop. Both of you were breathing a bit more heavily than usual, grinning at each other.

"Let's go get some drinks."

You nodded, leading him away from the dance floor and back towards the food tables. He picked up a glass of pale yellow wine and leaned against the wall, bringing it to his lips. He rose an eyebrow at you. "Well?" He mumbled past the lip of the glass, "You gonna have anything, love?"

Your face burned red hot. You tugged at your dress sheepishly. "I'm eighteen, remember?"

"Psh-" Zen scoffed, smirking. "What a little baby! Right then, no adult drinks for you. Want some… milk?" He broke into sputtering laughter again.

You rolled your eyes, a wry smile on your face, and turned to give him the cold shoulder.

Out of the corner of your eye you saw him pout, which was an expression nearly impossible to say no to. "Aw, don't be like that! I was only kidding. I actually admire you for not succumbing early. When I was your age, I… wasn't as smart." He looked sheepish.

That won you back over. You turned towards him again, sighing. "Apology accepted, Zen. And thanks, I'm… trying my hardest here."

Zen met eyes with you. He looked suddenly solemn. "Y/N, I-"

"I see you two are already all over each other."

The voice came from behind you, butyou were already quite aware of who had spoken. You had talked to him over the phone only a couple of times, but his words gave him away. You spun around on your heels and backed up a step so that you were nearly brushing up against Zen. _Nearly._

"Jumin," You greeted pointedly, taking a glass of water from the drinks table. It was him, without a doubt - he wore a velvet black tuxedo complimented by a golden-threaded tie. "I-"

"Don't you have more important things to do than harass Y/N and I?" Zen growled, crossing his arms over his chest.

Jumin frowned, tilting his chin back just slightly. "I just wanted to see how you were enjoying my party." There was just enough emphasis on the word 'my' to be noticeable.

Zen tensed. He opened his mouth as if planning on responding himself - probably in the snarkiest possible manner - but you quickly offered your own words. "It's amazing, Jumin. Before I forget, it's nice to actually meet you."

The dark-haired man smiled, but it was more of a 'I'm mocking Zen' smile than an 'It's a pleasure' one. "Thank you. And you as well, Y/N." He offered his hand.

"Er…" Realizing that he wanted a handshake, You cleared yout throat and returned it with a firm grasp.

"Say, Y/N… would you care for a dance?" Jumin offered, tilting his head ever-so-innocently. He ignored the seething anger that appeared on Zen's face, a smirk tugging at the corners of his lips.

"Oh, you-" You glanced back; Zen looked about ready to square up. You placed a gentle palm on his chest, which seemed to surprise him and calm him down at the same time. You quirked your eyebrows in his direction, silently telling him that he had absolutely nothing to worry about.

"Sure, Mr. Han. A quick one couldn't hurt."

Jumin dipped his head in a small nod, reaching out his hands for you to take. And you did, albeit gingerly. There was a moment's pause before you were off, surging with the other dancing couples to a cheerful instrumental of Silver Bells. You could see Zen sulking out of the corner of your eye; you felt bad about leaving him in the dust, and with Jumin no less, but you would be sure to make it up to him later. Besides, as soon as you were gone he was practically enveloped by a group of people eager to chat him up.


	3. Chapter Three

Jumin twirled you around and then you were face to face. He still hadn't spoken a word; he wasn't even looking at you. He was staring at the space above your head with a bored expression. You narrowed your eyes.

"Jumin, be honest. Are you dancing with me just to spite Zen?"  
He blinked, finally glancing down in your direction. "No. It's quite the opposite, actually. I needed to speak with you privately, and I knew that this would be the only way to escape his incessant hovering over you. It's about your relationship."  
You frowned, barely refraining from rolling your eyes. "Really? I think that Jaehee has-"

"Assistant Kang has strongly advised you to back off, and yet you refuse. You might not have noticed, but during your dance earlier, the two of you got plenty of stares."  
You hesitated. "...I noticed. But where did this sudden concern for Zen's well-being come from? You haven't been particularly kind to him in the past."

Jumin frowned. "You're not seeing the bigger picture. If Zen is involved with a scandal, then he loses supporters. If he loses supporters, then the RFA loses sponsors."

You didn't reply; you just watched your feet move to the rhythm as you danced along. The song was almost over.

"I hope you consider distancing yourself from him, Y/N. If you really cared about his well-being and career, you would."

The quartet laid down their instruments, and everyone idled; there would be a break in the live music. The dance floor cleared, and you and Jumin walked back towards the food table in silence. You felt your heart twist up; you were beginning to have second thoughts. You wanted to spend time with him, more than anything, but would you be putting everything he'd worked for on the line?  
Christmas music began to pour softly from hidden speakers. As soon as Zen caught sight of you, he dismissed himself from the group he was talking to and rushed over. You chewed at the inside of your cheek, picking up your water glass and taking a small sip.

"Y/N," Zen breathed, his cheeks rosy. He stood before you and adjusted his tie, a small frown on his lips. "What happened? What did that jerk say to you?" It seemed that Jumin had disappeared to who knew where.

"Nothing. It was just talk of the RFA. Responsibilities, priorities… that sort of thing. Nothing you have to worry about."

He didn't look convinced.

"I _promise._ "

"W-Well… good. I don't want him getting in your head."

' _Too late for that,'_ you thought with an internal grimace. You could practically feel the eyes of people around you burning into your back, judging you. Judging Zen.

"Zen… do you think that maybe you should spend some time with other people for the remainder of the party? I-I just don't want people to start thinking that we are… what we are."

"What?" The look on his face was pure hurt. Oh, were you regretting even saying anything…

"Please - I really, _really_ enjoy being with you. I want to dance the night away with you, trust me. B-But I'm just worried about your career. I don't want any damage to your reputation done because of me."

"My career?" Zen scoffed. His face softened a bit. "I appreciate your concern, Y/N. It means a lot to me, that you care. So… how about we leave? Just you and me."

You felt your face flush. "R-Really?"

His eyes widened. ""Oh - nonono, nothing like that! I was hoping that we could walk around for a little while. We could talk, a-and get to know each other."

"That sounds… perfect. Amazing. Wonderful!" You smiled eagerly, though it faltered slightly when a thought came to you. "Won't someone notice that we're missing, though? And I haven't even seen Seven or Yoosung…"

"We can make it covert, yeah? Like spies." He flashed a grin, and you couldn't help but return it. "You can easily make up an excuse, and you… well, if you just slip out I doubt anyone would take too much notice. N-No offense."

You gave a huff. "Yeah, none taken."

He looked at you sheepishly. "The part goes on for like… three and a half more hours. If we come back after two, it'll be like we were never gone! Plus you can talk to the other RFA members then."

You paused. It was too hard to resist. "Ok, ok, I'm in. Let's go."

You could tell that Zen was barely able to keep himself from jumping up and down with excitement; it was almost enough to make you giggle. "Great! Alright, mission 'escape the party' is a go, then. Stay here and watch and learn, Agent Y/N."

"Well then, I'll stay right here, Agent Overconfidence." You chuckled, watching as he held up a finger and pulled out his phone, looking at it as if it were ringing. In a way that only a professional actor could manage, he pretended to answer a call and meandered over to the opposite side of the snacks table. You could see a number of people either approach him or turn in his direction.

"Ah - hello, mister director! Merry Christmas!" he would exclaim, his voice at a volume that was just loud enough to catch the attention of people in his general vicinity, but not loud enough to look obvious. ' _He's good,'_ You thought to yourself, raising an eyebrow. You glanced away and took a bite of a cookie, trying not to make it seem like you were interested in what he was doing at all.

"Ah - an emergency?!" The shock in Zen's voice would've had you convinced, had you not known what was really going on. "I see. I'll be there as fast as I can. Ok… ok. Goodbye." He returned the phone to his pocket, scowling. A couple women rushed over to him; you couldn't hear them, but they looked concerned. Then Zen said something, waving his hand. The women sighed, their shoulders falling, before walking off. Zen spun on his heels; your eyes met for a brief second, and You could see a smirk tugging at his lips. Then his back was to you once more, and at a quick pace he exited the massive room through an inconspicuous hallway.

" _My turn,'_ you thought. You shuffled your feet and continued to nibble at a cookie, waiting for activity around the hallway to die down. After five minutes or so the crowd in that area began to falter, and you slipped through. Thankfully, no one seemed to spot you. The hall was dimly lit by overhead lights and completely marble. You couldn't tell where it lead. Your heart skipped a beat- you didn't see Zen around.

"Psst." You nearly jumped out of your skin at the sound, which had come from your left. There was Zen, leaning flirtatiously in the doorway of a hall you hadn't noticed. "Mission accomplished," he whispered to you with a grin. And then with a flutter of his hand, he gestured for you to follow him.


End file.
